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Sunday, April 3, 2016

Boutique 208 Consignor Susan Fortunato, of Meanderer, is having a trunk show at the Boutique on Friday, April 8, from 11a to 7p.

Her repurposed items, including aprons, purses, pot holder, accessories and more, will be displayed throughout the store. Come and check out all of her fun, wonderfully imagined products; that all used to be something else.

Friday, April 1, 2016

As a part of our Spring Sales Extravaganza, Bethany Shea, of Indulgence Bath & Body, is having a trunk show at the Boutique on Sunday, April 3, from 11a - 4p.

Her bath & body products, which are handmade from all natural and edible ingredients, will be displayed throughout the store.

ALL bath and body products will be BOGO, with the second same or lower priced item discounted 50%! This is a great opportunity to pick up some gifts, or try something new! Bethany offers some great "fun" bath products for kids too!

ALSO Bethany will be offering her exclusive hand-etched glass! These items are not usually available in the Boutique, so don't miss your chance to pick up these one-of-a-kind gifts! She'll have some pre-made items, but will also be taking custom orders. Examples: monograms, family crests, customs phrases, etc.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Happy April Fool's Day! Boutique 208 Consignor Sue Danielson, of SuDan Design, Jewelry and Batik, is having a trunk show at the Boutique on Friday, April 1, from 11a to 8p.

Her hand batiked items, including scarves and clothing for women, children and babies, and unique Rainbow Makers (one-of-a-kind beaded and bowed cut glass prism ornaments) will be displayed throughout the store.

In addition, her "trunk" table will include a wide variety of necklaces, bracelets and earrings, as well as holiday Rainbow Makers offered at a discount. Scarves, bracelets and Rainbow Makers will be offered BOGO, with the second same or lower priced item discounted 50%. Refreshments are free. No foolin'!

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Stop in to Boutique 208 between now and March 24, 2016 to receive an entry to win this great assortment of items donated by several of our artists. No purchase necessary for the first entry! Get one entry just for coming in to see us, then earn 1 entry for any purchase, and then additional entries for every $20 you spend!

Come down and see us!

Prize includes: Cake earrings from Evan Tillie of Tillie's Clay Treats, an Easter Pin from Tam of Barker's Herbs and Heirlooms, Easter egg earrings from Jenn of Charmed by Jenn, silly soap from Bethany of Indulgence Bath & Body Products, a green table mat from Pamela of A PG Creation, a pair of pot holders from Susan of Meanderer, a pair of tie dye socks from Leslie of LArtC, children's hair clips from Angela of Funnermother - all wrapped nicely in a lovely reversible fabric bowl from Lynn of Textile Gifts!

Winner will be randomly drawn the morning of Friday, March 25 and notified via phone call (or email address depending on which the winner provides on their entry form).

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Eryn Hughes, of Apothecary Muse, is our featured artist from March 9-15, 2016.

Please stop by, enjoy our window featuring her products, and check out her items in person. She shared the following information with us and we hope you enjoy learning about her and her work, in her own words.

I like to find inspiration in nature and share it. This philosophy touches upon every sense that
we experience as humans: sight, taste, touch, smell, and hearing. Over the years, while my soapmaking was just
a hobby, I worked in the bicycle industry as a mechanic, coach, and advocate. I remember attending a trails conference
where the speaker said that when he “paddled with others in nature, he observed
nature”… and when he “paddled alone…[he]
was nature.” I’ve also found these
solo adventures to give new context to my decisions and sense of purpose in
life. (fig. 1)

Later,
I worked in outreach with food access and the music industry, bringing
resources to people that would otherwise have barriers. It was on a section hike along thePacific Crest Trailthat
I considered the possibilities of designing a business model around my
philosophy.The demands of back country
exploration has inspired me to incorporate medicinal herbs and aromatherapy
into Apothecary Muse products
that are used everyday, especially by those who spend time outside. The environmental impact of single use
plastics is significant, by and I seek to reduce that with plantable paper soap
labels, compostable paperboard tubes for lip balm and deodorant, and reusable glass
or tin jars and bottles. I won’t buy any
new plastic. I test everything I make
and have a team of brand ambassadors who are extremely active in the outdoors
that also give feedback on seasonal products, although often I’m reusing
plastic containers for my own testing. (fig. 2)

These
days, I plan my adventures around possibilities for foraging, exploring new
places and environmental risks, while balancing skin care needs with herbal
infusions and aromatherapy. I study
herbalism with Sage Mountain and aromatherapy with Aromahead, and I'm a regular at my local library consulting
Eastern and Ayurvedic Medicine texts to find parallels in philosophies that I
might use in my product development.There
is so much to learn and I believe these skills in sustainability and
self-sufficiency will be rewarding for many years to come.

Figure 3
Farm To Table: Teaching how to make soap.

And
since I believe information can be empowering, I have sought my teaching
certification and now offer classes. The
next one is coming up on March 18th at 10:30am at the David L.
Lawrence Convention Center, in the Farm to Table Conferenceand
further upcoming learning opportunities can be found on the SoapGuild Teacher Guide. I
aim to bring nature to the people - or people to nature - in a very intimate
way.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Susan Fortunato of Meanderer is our featured artist this week!Her Mantra:

Waste not want not.Reduce, reuse, recycle.Repurpose.

Susan says, "I give new life to items others find unusable. Old becomes new, practical and pretty items. Worn jeans and feed sacks become aprons, potholders, or bags. Old coats become purses. Ill fitting tee shirts can be a new skirt. Sewing, creating, recreating, making new from old is a happy challenge."

Stop in and check out Susan's fun, eclectic work featured at the front of the Boutique from 3/2-3/7!

Monday, February 29, 2016

Boutique 208 is excited to host a Make-and-Take Bath Bomb Workshop during the Gallery Crawl on Friday March 18th. Help kick-off the City of Pittsburgh's Bicentennial Celebration with us!

Bethany, of Indulgence Bath & Body Products, will be teaching you to make a fun fizzing Bath Bomb from ingredients you already have in your kitchen. Scent your bath bomb with nourishing herbs, and learn a little bit about caring for your skin at home.

The workshop begins at 5:30 PM, and is FREE while supplies last.

Bethany’s “Kitchen Cabinet Beauty Recipe Booklet” will be available to all shoppers during the Gallery Crawl on March 18th, so be sure to stop into to Boutique 208 for some great local art, even if you won’t be participating in the workshop!

Friday, February 26, 2016

We have a fabulously GREEN giveaway just in time for St. Patrick's Day!Stop in to Boutique 208 between now and March 10, 2016 to receive an entry to win this great assortment of items donated by several of our artists. No purchase necessary for the first entry! Get one entry just for coming in to see us, then earn 1 entry for any purchase, and then additional entries for every $20 you spend!

Come down and see us!

Prize includes: a pair of Kiss Me, I'm Irish earrings and card from Jenn of Charmed by Jenn, a green floral cotton baby bib from Jody of The Point Needlecraft, a bath cupcake and green silly soap from Bethany of Indulgence Bath & Body Products - all wrapped up nicely in a lovely reversible fabric bowl from Lynn of Textile Gifts!Winner will be randomly drawn the morning of Friday, March 11th and notified via phone call (or email address depending on which the winner provides on their entry form).

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Sue Danielson of SuDan Design: Jewelry and Batik is our featured artist this week. She specialized in one-of-a-kind batik pieces, among many other things. We asked her to share a bit about herself. Enjoy!

My first batiks were created in a class at the Pittsburgh Arts and Crafts
Center in 1975 that was a Christmas gift from my husband, Earl. I had been
making arts and crafts works all of my life, but the serendipity and surprise
of this ancient Indonesian craft really inspired my imagination, much like photography
and dark room work does. There's always something exciting, even magical, about
seeing how the dyes have seeped into cracked wax, how the colors have combined,
and ultimately, the excitement, surprise and delight when the wax is removed to
reveal what has been created through the multiple steps of waxing and
dying...it's like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis!

After those initial classes, I quickly produced a wide-variety of batik items, including magical window
hangings that glowed like stained glass, large framed abstract and pictorial
wall prints, unique and unusual stuffed dolls and clothing. Unfortunately, back
when dyes were not as permanent, it was difficult to sell batik items at a
price that would reimburse my time and materials, as well as make some profit.
So I took a hiatus from batik to focus on making a living; then on to loving and raising
two wonderful daughters. While working full time as an office administrator, I encouraged my girls' own creative endeavors, which
included demonstrating batik, as well as other arts and crafts. Later, when I was working as a human resources
specialist at a community college adult education program, I began taking
various art classes, including beaded and wire-wrapped jewelry. Another love
was born! I couldn't stop, and once again produced a large inventory of items,
purely for the love of creating beautiful pieces. Although I gave away most of
the pieces I made to friends and family, I often sold things, and was
encouraged and assisted by Sarah, my fashion and business savvy younger
daughter, to create a batik and jewelry shop on Etsy. Still busy with my job
and other commitments, I appreciated and trusted Sarah's design sense and
marketing experience, and she assisted me in creating our SuDan Jewelry and Design
shop in that massive global marketplace, where she worked as business manager until
I retired from my college position in April of 2013.

I also create one-of-a-kind Rainbow Makers and Memory Keepers that are sold in
the shop. These are joyful crystal ornaments that are assembled from cut glass
prisms of various sizes and shapes that are strung on ribbon, wire or chain,
and enhanced with jewels, metals, charms, ribbons, and bows. Many of these
ornaments have a holiday theme, with vintage and personalized photos added. The
crystals and beads catch and reflect light when hung in a sunny window, and
cast colorful rainbows around the room. Personal photos of beloved people and
pets may be added by custom request to flat backed glass prisms, and themed
charms are often included to create special remembrance gifts for display in a
window, car, or on a Christmas tree. I also make handmade photo and linoleum
block print greeting cards which are available at the Boutique during the winter
holiday season.

In addition to batik items such as scarves,
clothing for babies, children and adults that I sell at Boutique 208, there are
pillows, windows, wall hangings, and framed art in the works...and always a new
design or product idea percolating in my brain!

I am happy to offer these original, handmade
gifts at Boutique 208, and hope that the folks who stop by to visit this unique
shop will be pleasantly surprised by the wide variety and ever changing
assortment of unique batik clothing, a variety of scarves and other interesting
items that are enhanced with batik designs.

I hope that Boutique 208 customers will
love my designs as much as I love making them!

Stop in and check out Sue's beautiful work featured at the front of the Boutique from 2/24-3/2!

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Mimi Antonetti of Nautilus Creations is our featured artist this week. She creates beautiful, unique chain maille jewelry. We asked her to share a bit about herself. Enjoy!

A native of Northern
NJ, I currently reside in the Greater Pittsburgh area by way of Miami and
Houston. With a degree in geology and paleontology, the Chambered Nautilus has
always been my favorite invertebrate - I love the way it will build a new
living chamber when it outgrows the current one. This has become a metaphor for
my life....creating new as I outgrow the old.

In 2011 I took advantage of corporate downsizing and decided to follow my heart
in several different ways. I have parlayed my love of animals into a dream job
of taking care of other people's four footed (and hooved) friends as a full
time job. On the side I started to stoke my creative fire and stumbled upon
chain maille; little did I know it would become something verging on
obsession!

I love the direction mailling has taken
me and have branched out to include everything from Kumihimo to torch-flamed
scales and rings in my pieces. I prefer to work in stainless steel, bronze,
copper and niobium although I still will make pieces in brass, bright and
anodized aluminum.Stop in and check out Mimi's Nautilus Creations featured at the front of the Boutique from 2/17-2/21.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Hi. My name is Kathy Mazur. I retired from Highmark in April
2015 after 20 years of working there as a web and UX designer. I wanted to do
something that was more creative andnotcorporate, so I found an old canvas
and played with some spray paint to create a fall leaf design. It came out even
better than I expected, so I started creating more artwork.

How did you come up with your business name?

I don't really have a business name, but I sign my pieces with
Kathy M. Since my maiden name began with an O, I was called Kathy O as I was
growing up. A friend of mine started calling me Kathy M after I was married. It
continued the same theme, so now that's my signature.

Where do you live?

I've lived in the North Side for six years and love it there.
Before that, I lived in Murrysville while raising my kids.

Who’s in your family?

My husband is Cole. We've been married for 14 years. I have two
grown children, Devin and Dani, who both live in Pittsburgh. I love having them
nearby.

If you could sit down and talk to any person, living or dead who would it be, and why?

I can't pick just one! So, one
is my grandmother who I miss a lot and sometimes "feel" her around
me. I want to ask her what it's like on the other side. Number two is going to
sound cliche, but it's Jesus. I want to know the secret to why we are here.
Number three is Andy Warhol. He seemed like a very interesting person and he's
a Pittsburgher.

What inspires you?

People who are happy for who
they are, not because of what they have.

What is your favorite item you make for Boutique 208 and why?

So far, I've only made spray paint art, so I guess that's my
favorite! In particular, my favorite is the long canvas of birch trees.

What is your favorite item at Boutique 208 that’s not one of your own and why?

I've only worked there one day so far, so I really need to look
around more. I saw several things that I thought were amazing and want to buy.

What advice can you offer to someone who would like to start selling their handmade creations?

Be confident in your abilities. I was nervous about asking to
sell my items in a shop, so my husband sent a picture of one of my pieces to a
shop owner without telling her who did it. She loved it, wanted to see more,
and then took a bunch into her shop to sell. That gave me a boost of
confidence, so I stopped in at Boutique 208 to ask if I could sell items there,
too. And, now, here we are!